A blueprint of Saudi English typology: A substrate effect

Main Article Content

Maather AlRawi
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8431-4709
Nuha AlShurafa
Tariq Elyas
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2898-7391
Abdulrahman Alqurashi
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0523-942X

Abstract

Although some Englishes in Asia have received extensive attention, the grammar of Saudi English remains relatively unexamined. It remains unclear whether the Saudi English grammatical (or morphosyntactic) patterns derive from universal principles. Al-Rawi (2012); Mahboob and Elyas (2014) seem to provide an individual description. This paper is an attempt to provide an analysis for the morphosyntactic features of the variety of English in Saudi Arabia from a global approach by adopting Kortmann and Szmrecsanyi (2004) geographic and variety-specific perspectives. Our findings show that Saudi English has 7 distinctive features. Four of them are universal. Due to the limitations in covering all the distinctive features and due the clear analogy between these features and the substrate Arabic patterns, we argue that the distinctive features are simply the result of the substrate influence rather than universal principles that derive these deviant forms

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Article Details

How to Cite
AlRawi, M. ., AlShurafa, N. ., Elyas, T., & Alqurashi , A. . (2022). A blueprint of Saudi English typology: A substrate effect. Focus on ELT Journal, 4(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.14744/felt.2022.4.2.1
Section
Articles
Author Biographies

Maather AlRawi, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Bio: Maather Alrawi is an Associate Professor of Linguistics at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Her research interests include language typology, English Globalisation, Error Analysis and Syntactic Theory (the Minimalist Program) with particular focus on A/A’-movement, Phase Theory, Null Subject Parameter, and the cartography of syntactic structures. She is also interested in the syntax of Semitic languages including the Standard and modern Arabic dialects and Austronesian (Indonesian).

Nuha AlShurafa, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Nuha suleiman Alshurafa is a Professor of Linguistics at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She holds a BA in English language and literature (from London university, UK 1980). She holds an MA in English Linguistics (from Bath university-UK in 1981) and a PhD in Functional and theoretical Linguistics (from Manchester university-UK in 1988). Professor Alshurafa held the post of head of the English department in faculty of arts and humanities at king Abdul-Aziz university (KAU) in 1999-2000, and the post of Vice-Dean of the English institute at KAU university in 2006-2007. She is now a member of the editorial-committee of the faculty of Arts and Humanities journal in KAU. She has over 30 published linguistic articles in different linguistic journals. Professor Alshurafa’s areas of interests include Standard Arabic and the dialects structural analysis, Language Identity, World Englishes, Women Studies, and Theoretical linguistics and the lexical competence of Arabic speakers. Her articles have appeared in various linguistic journals such as: British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies; The Buckingham Journal of Language and Linguistics among many others.

Tariq Elyas, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Tariq Elyas is a Full Professor of Applied Linguistics at King Abdulaziz University-KAU (Saudi Arabia). He holds an MA in English Literature (USA) and a PhD in Applied Linguistics (Australia). Prof. Elyas was awarded the British Chevening Fellowship in International Law & Human Rights (UK) as well as a Post-Doctorate in Applied Linguistics from the British Commonwealth Council (UK). Prof. Elyas’s areas of interests include Global English, Teacher Identity, Policy Reform, Media Studies, and Women Studies in the Middle East. His research papers have appeared in leading international journals such as British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Digest of Middle East Studies, Contemporary Review of the Middle East, Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research, Semiotica, World Englishes, Asian Englishes, Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, Journal of Neurolinguistics, Sexuality and Culture, as well as ELT Journal. Prof. Elyas has been awarded the Bundey Prize for English Verse (Australia); Travel Writing Fellowship (USA); Cambridge Gulf Research Award (UK); Reviewer of the Year-Emerald Publisher (UK); EU-GCC Relations Project Award (Belgium); and the Best Supervisor Award in the Humanities & Social Sciences Track-KAU in 2018 and 2020 (Saudi Arabia). Prof. Elyas has guest-edited three special issues: 1) ‘World Englishes in MENA’ (with Ahmar Mahboob) in World Englishes; 2) ‘Gender in Language Education’ (with Handoyo Puji Widodo) in Sexuality & Culture; and 3) ‘English Language Education: A Critical Global Englishes Perspective’ (with Fan Fang and Handoyo Puji Widodo) in Asian Englishes. His latest book was an edited volume (co-edited with Dr Ahmar Mahboob) entitled Educational Challenges during the GCC in the 21st Century (Cambridge Scholars Publisher). Prof. Elyas has been the most highly cited author in Saudi Arabia in the fields of Education and Applied Linguistics since 2014. Prof. Elyas has served as an external examiner for (24) PhD students from Australia, Malaysia, UAE, UK, and Saudi Arabia. Also, Prof. Elyas has worked in numerous educational posts in Australia, UK, USA and Saudi Arabia. Currently, Prof. Elyas has been assigned as the Associate Editor for Wiley Encyclopedia of World Englishes- MENA region.

References

Abdulhameed, M. (2000). Sharh Qatr Al-Nada wa Bal Al-Sada. Al-Maktaba Al-Asriyya.

AlShurfa, N., Alotaibi, N., AlRawi, M., & Elyas, T. (2022). Saudi Englishes in Saudi Arabia: A Syntactic Study within World Englishes Framework, Frontiers in Communication, 7:7:753135. https:// doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2022.753135.

Al-Shurafa, N. S. (2014). On the emergence of a gulf English variety: a sociocultural approach. Buckingham Journal of Language Linguistics, 7, 87–100. https://doi.org/10.5750/bjll.v7i0.924

Al-Shurafa, N. (2009). Linguistic variations and use of the 21st Century Arabicisation of English. Paper presented at Applied Linguistic Conference, 27–28 March, Oxford University, UK.

AlRawi, M., AlShurfa, N., & Elyas, T. (2022). Saudi English: A Descriptive Analysis of English Language Variations in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-022-09866-8.

Al-Rawi, M. (2012). Four grammatical features of Saudi English: charting the influence of Arabic on the syntax of English in Saudi Arabia. English Today, 28, 32–38. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078412000132.

Arua, A. E. (2004). Botswana English: Some syntactic and lexical features. English World Wide, 25(2), 255-272.

Barnawi, O. Z. (2022). New English (es) in Saudi Arabia: Implications for language policy. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies,18(1), 935-947.

https://doi.org/10.3316/informit.401106304711589

Bolton, K. (2019). World Englishes: current debates and future directions, in The Handbook of World Englishes, 741–760. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119147282.ch41

Bolton, K. (2013). World Englishes, globalization, and language worlds. In N. L. Johannesson, G. Melchers, & B. Bjorkman (Eds.), Of butterflies and birds, of dialects and genres: Essays in honour of Philip Shaw (pp. 227–251). Stockholm Studies in English, 104.

Bukhari, S. (2022). English Language Teachers' Views on ‘Saudi English': errors vs. variants. Taibah University Journal Arts Humanities, 28, 464–496.

Chambers, J. (2001). Vernacular universals. In: J. Fontana, L. McNally, M. Turell & E. Vallduví (eds.), ICLaVE 1: Proceedings of the First International Conference on Language Variation in Europe, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, (pp. 52–60).

Chambers, J. (2003). Sociolinguistic Theory: Linguistic Variation and Its Social Implications. Blackwell.

Chambers, J. (2004). Dynamic typology and vernacular universals. In B. Kortmann, (ed), Dialectology meets Typology (pp. 127–145). Mouton de Gruyter.

El-Dahdah, A. (1993). A Dictionary of Arabic Grammatical Nomenclature. Librairie du Liban.

Elyas, T. (2008). The Attitude of American English within the Saudi Education System. Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language), 2(1), 28-48.

Elyas, T. (2011). Diverging Identities: A 'contextualised' Exploration of the Interplay of Competing Discourses in Two Saudi University Classrooms [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Adelaide, Australia].

Elyas, T., AlZahrani, M., & Widodo, H. P. (2021). Translanguaging and ‘Culigion’ Features of Saudi English. World Englishes, 40(2), 20-40. https://doi.org/10.1111/weng.12509

Elyas, T., & Alghofaili, N. M. (2019). Native English speakers versus non-native English speakers: The impact of language teachers on EFL learner’s English proficiency. English Review: Journal of English Education, 7(2), 27-38. https://doi.org/ 10.25134/erjee.v7i2.1773.

Elyas, T., & Mahboob, A. (2021a). World Englishes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). World Englishes, 40(2). https://doi.org/ 10.1111/weng.12504

Elyas, T., & Mahboob, A. (2021b). Englishes in MENA region: A contemporary bibliography. World Englishes, 40(2),1-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/weng.12515

Elyas, T. & Picard, M. (2013). Critiquing of higher education policy in Saudi Arabia: towards a new neoliberalism, Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 6(1), 31-41. https://doi.org/10.1108/17537981311314709.

Elyas, T., & Picard, M. (2018). A brief history of English in Saudi Arabia. In C. Moskovsky. & Picard, M. (Eds.), EFL in Saudi Arabia: New Insights into Teaching and Learning English (pp.78-92). Routledge.

Fallatah, W. (2017). Bilingual creativity in Saudi stand-up comedy. World Englishes, 36(4), 666–683. doi.org/ 10.1111/weng.12239.

Fang, F.; Widodo, P. H.; & Elyas, T. (2022). Guest editors’ introduction: critical Global Englishes in language education. Asian Englishes, https://doi.org/10.1080/13488678.2022.2076027.

Fussell, B. (2011). The local flavour of English in the Gulf: In a matter of fifty years, English has attained its own distinctive features in the Gulf. English Today, 27(4), 26-32.

Hillman, S., Selvi, A. F., & Yazan, B. (2021). A scoping review of world Englishes in the Middle East and North Africa. World Englishes, 40, 159–175. https://doi.org/ 10.1111/weng.12505.

Hopkyns, S., & Elyas, T. (2022). Arabic vis-à-vis English in the Gulf Countries: Bridging the Ideological Divide. In Hopkyns, S. & Zoghbor, W. (Eds.), Linguistics Identities in the Arabian. (pp.17-33). Routledge.

Hopkyns, S., Zoghbor, W., & Hassall, P. J. (2021). The use of English and linguistic hybridity among Emirati millennials. World Englishes, 40(2), 176–190. https://doi.org/10.1111/weng.12506.

Kachru, B. B. (1985). Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: The English language in the outer circle. In R. Quirk & H. G. Widdowson (eds), English in the World: Teaching and Learning the Language and Literatures (11–30). Cambridge University Press.

Kortmann, B., & Szmrecsanyi, B. (2004). Global synopsis: Morphological and syntactic variation in English. In B. Kortmann K. Burridge, R. Mesthrie & E. Schneider (eds), A Handbook of Varieties of English, 2 (pp. 1122-82). Mounton de Gruyter.

Kortmann, B. & Szmrecsanyi, B. (2008). The morphosyntax of varieties of English worldwide: A qualitative perspective. Lingua, 119 (11), 1643-1663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2007.09.016

Mahboob, A. (2013). Englishes of the Middle East: a focus on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Middle East Handbook of Applied Linguistics, 1, 14–27.

Mahboob, A., & Elyas, T. (2014). English in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. World Englishes, 33, 128-142. https://doi.org/ 10.1111/weng.12073

Mair, C. (2003). Kreolismen und verbales Identitätsmanagement im geschriebenen jamaikanischen Englisch. In Elisabeth Vogel, Antonia Napp, and Wolfram Lutterer (eds.), Zwischen Ausgrenzung und Hybridisierung (pp. 79–96). Würzburg: Ergon.

McKay, S. L. (2010). English as an international language. In N. Hornberger & S. L. McKay (Eds.), Sociolinguistics and language education (pp. 89–115). Multilingual Matters.

Mohammad, M. (2000). Word Order, Agreement in Arabic. John Benjamins.

Onysko, A. (2016). Language contact and world Englishes. World Englishes, 35, 191–195. https://doi.org/ 10.1111/weng.12190.

Sarmah, P., Gogoi, D., & Caroline, W. (2009). Thai English: Rhythm and vowel. English World-Wide, 30, 196-217. https://doi.org/10.1075/eww.30.2.05sar

Schneider, E. (2004). Global synopsis: Phonetic and phonological variation in English world-wide. In B. Kortmann K. Burridge, R. Mesthrie & E. Schneider (eds), A Handbook of Varieties of English (pp. 1111-37). Mounton de Gruyter.

Shah, M. A., & Elyas, T. (2019). TESOL at the crossroads: Representation of source cultures in TESOL textbooks. Cogent Education, 6(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2019.1643524.

Sharma, D. (2009). Typological diversity in New Englishes. English World-Wide, 30(2), 170−95. https://doi.org/ 10.1075/eww.30.2.04sha

Siemund, P. (2013). Varieties of English: A typological approach. Cambridge University Press.

Siemund, P., Al-Issa, A., & Leimgruber, J. R. (2021). Multilingualism and the role of English in the United Arab Emirates. World Englishes, 40(20), 191–204. doi.org/ 10.1111/weng.12507

Siemund, P., Gogolin, I., Schulz, M. E., & Davydova, J. (Eds.). (2013). Multilingualism and language diversity in urban areas: Acquisition, identities, space, education (Vol. 1). John Benjamins Publishing.

Tupas, R. (2022). The coloniality of native speakerism. Asian Englishes. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/13488678.2022.2056797

Tupas, R. (2021). Fostering translingual dispositions against Unequal Englishes. English in Education, 55(3), 222 238, https://doi.org/10.1080/04250494.2020.1786367.

Tuzlukova, V., & Mehta, S. R. (2021). Englishes in the cityscape of Muscat. World Englishes, 40(2), 231-244. https://doi.org/10.1111/weng.12510.

Radford, A. (2009). An Introduction to English Sentence Structure. Cambridge University Press.

van den Hoven, M., & Carroll, K. S. (2021). English-medium policy and English conversational patterns in the UAE. World Englishes, 40(2), 205–218. https://doi.org/ 10.1111/weng.12508

Wardhaugh, R. (2002). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Blackwell.

Widodo, P. H., Fang, F., & Elyas, T. (2022). Designing English Language Materials from the Perspective of Global Englishes. Asian Englishes, 1-13. https://doi/10.1080/13488678.2022.2062540

Widodo, H. P., Fang, F., & Elyas, T. (2020). The construction of language teacher professional identity in the Global Englishes territory: ‘we are legitimate language teachers. Asian Englishes22, (3), 309-316. https://doi.org/10.1080/13488678.2020.1732683.